Highlights

• China Minmetals and CATL met in January to expand strategic cooperation.
• The collaboration aims to link state-backed resource security with the world's largest battery manufacturer.
• The goal is to integrate upstream minerals with downstream manufacturing.
• Minmetals emphasized its national mandate to safeguard critical mineral supplies.
• CATL highlighted technology innovation amid global supply chain restructuring in the new-energy sector.
• The engagement signals China's cohesive industrial strategy to secure battery supply chains.
• This presents challenges for U.S. and European efforts to diversify away from Chinese mineral dependencies.

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Senior executives from China Minmetals Corporation (opens in a new tab) and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) (opens in a new tab) met in Ningde, Fujian, in late January to discuss expanding strategic cooperation—an engagement that highlights China’s ongoing effort to more tightly integrate upstream mineral resources with downstream battery and new-energy manufacturing.

From Dialogue to Systematic Cooperation

The meeting brought together Zhu Kebing, Deputy Party Secretary, Chairman, and General Manager of China Minmetals, and CATL founder and CEO Robin Zeng, along with senior executives from both sides. According to the official readout, discussions focused on building a more structured, long-term cooperation framework spanning resource development, industrial coordination, and green (low-carbon) development—language that in the Chinese policy context typically implies tighter operational and strategic integration over time.

China Minmetals’ National Mandate

Zhu framed China Minmetals’ role in explicitly national terms, reiterating the group’s mission of “serving the country through mining” and safeguarding China’s supply and security of critical metal and mineral resources. He emphasized Minmetals’ ambition to strengthen competitiveness across the entire mining and metals value chain, from resources to downstream services. Zhu also highlighted the company’s positioning as a “national team” for resource security and a key service provider for China’s “Two-New” agenda—generally understood to refer to emerging industries and new development models. Minmetals now operates across six major business segments, including mining, metallurgical engineering, technology, trade and logistics, financial capital, and real estate.

CATL’s View: Technology First, Supply Chains in Flux

For CATL, Zeng underscored that core technological innovation remains the company’s primary growth engine, while noting that global industrial and supply chains are undergoing profound structural change. He pointed to the rapid expansion of the new-energy sector and said closer alignment with China Minmetals could help both companies capture opportunities during this phase of accelerated industry growth.

Why This Matters for the U.S. and Europe

The significance of this development lies less in any single announced project—none were disclosed—and more in the signal it sends. The meeting reinforces a broader Chinese industrial strategy: linking state-backed resource giants directly with globally dominant battery manufacturers to secure critical minerals, improve coordination, and reduce exposure to geopolitical or trade disruptions. For U.S. and European policymakers seeking to diversify battery and critical-mineral supply chains away from China, this type of upstream–downstream alignment illustrates the scale, cohesion, and long-term orientation of China’s approach.

Company Profiles

China Minmetals Corporation

China Minmetals is one of China’s largest state-owned mining and metals groups, with operations spanning mineral exploration, mining, smelting, engineering, trading, and finance. It plays a central role in China’s strategy to secure supplies of critical minerals and metals across domestic and overseas assets.

 Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL)

CATL is the world’s largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Headquartered in Ningde, Fujian, the company is a cornerstone of China’s new-energy industry and a major supplier to global automakers.

Disclaimer: This news item is translated and summarized from reporting by media affiliated with a Chinese state-owned entity. The information has not been independently verified and should be confirmed through independent sources before being used for investment, policy, or strategic decision-making.